In fact, Seth Grossman, a 64-year-old Atlantic County attorney, portrays New Jersey’s tough-talking Republican incumbent governor as just another Garden State hack.

“What Christie and I have are really philosophical differences, not so much left and right differences,” said Grossman, a father of two grown daughters.

“The Jersey style of government is like the godfather style. You put someone you know in office and they take care of you. It’s time to get rid of that.”

Grossman said his campaign is rooted in the goals of “liberty and prosperity,” and shrinking government, which allows individuals to make their own choices in life.

“The government is controlling our lives more than ever,” he said. “Especially with the technological advances we have today, everybody should be able set up their own business and make individual choices.”

Grossman even blames reliance on government for slowing the response to Hurricane Sandy.

“People are too helpless and rely too much on the government,” said Grossman. “(President) Obama and Christie believe . . . that we need big leaders in front of us for success. Let us be free.”

Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the Christie campaign, didn’t respond directly to Grossman’s comments, but said the governor is feeling “strong and well-positioned” going into the primary election.

“We’ve been waging a pretty aggressive campaign through the media,” Roberts said. “And we’re using the primary as an opportunity to test what we’re doing in what should be an uncontested operation.”

Jose Arango, chair of the Hudson County Republican Party, called Grossman “out of touch with the Republican Party.”

“I don’t know what he thinks he’s going to accomplish besides confusion,” Arango said of Grossman, adding, “Governor Christie has been doing a great job . . . It is not an issue between the Republicans or Democrats, it is what is best under the circumstances for the state.”